I'm Still Stuck on this Miss California Thing…

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And it ain’t because of her “gay marriage” answer, though that of course is what gave her the limelight. I’m just really shocked at all the positive press she’s gotten from evangelical Christians over an answer that, frankly, wasn’t even all that good.

Let’s first look at the answer she gave:
I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anyone out there but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be between a man and a woman.”

She “thinks it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other”. Huh? That’s just fine with her? Yes, thankfully, she has a personal belief–because of how she was raised–that marriage ought to be reserved for a man and a woman. Good–but that the best ya got, honey? And for that relatively mediocre answer (made famous by the fact that the far-left homosexual lobby will brook no dissent in its march toward homosexual nirvana, the remaking of America as a modern-day Sodom), Carrie Prejean receives:

* A bold defense from Steve Camp, noted CCM singer and apologist (he and I went back and forth on it along with some others for awhile, if you read the comments);

* A scholarship invite from Liberty University (as an alum, I hang my head on this one);

* An immediate appearance at the Dove Awards…oh, wait, sorry, I’m restricting this post to Christian promotion she’s received…my bad;

* An 36-minute interview with Pastor Miles McPherson at Rock Church the following Sunday;

* A gig with the National Organization for Marriage to promote real marriage, and generally, the acclaim of evangelicals.

Whew…she’s a busy chick. But let’s recap some facts:

1. She gave a fairly lukewarm answer to the “gay marriage” question, one I’d have been disappointed with if a member of my church had given it.

2. She’d only minutes before (or after? I don’t know, I didn’t watch Miss USA) pranced across the platform in a slinky white bikini, displaying not only what the Lord had given her, but also

3. Certain “enhanced” features, courtesy of the Miss California pageant.
You probably don’t need to follow the link to follow my drift.

Come to find out, Miss Prejean is a student at San Diego Christian University, the school founded by, among others, Tim LaHaye and Dr. Henry Morris (formerly Christian Heritage College). Now, follow me on this one, and tell me if I’m nuts: is that slinky bikini part of the acceptable dress code at SDCU? Are…ahem…enhancements something that is encouraged there? No? Well, then…oh, wait…she said something publicly that somewhat resembles the kind of sentiment that evangelicals ought to utter in the fight against “gay marriage”, and that cancels everything out and makes her our latest role model/celebrity/author-of-an-inane-“Christian”-bestseller-to-be).

Yeah, I see how that works…

Look, this is categorically not “pile on Carrie Prejean” night; she is what she is, I’m sure a charming (and certainly beautiful) young lady. Rather, this is, “Have we lost our minds, or sold our souls?” night. And the reaction to Miss Prejean would seem to give us a clear answer in the affirmative to one, or to both, of those questions…

14 Comments

  1. Graham on May 4, 2009 at 8:47 am

    Why does her stance remind me of “I believe abortion is wrong but it’s up to the woman to decide” or “I believe euthanasia is wrong but…”?

    • Byron on May 4, 2009 at 3:34 pm

      I”m guessing…because that’s about what she’s saying??? Really, I just don’t get this love affair with this woman at all. I must be missing something…

  2. Don on May 4, 2009 at 6:11 pm

    You know, Byron, maybe this has less to do with the woman herself and more to do with the sense of outrage that many are feeling over the egregious double standard among the cultural elite when it comes to matters of faith. Okay, so it was a lame answer. She could have been clearer, more decisive, more astute. Frankly, this wasn’t your average soft ball beauty pageant question. Maybe it blindsided her. Maybe it took her a minute to collect her thoughts. But the thing is I’m not sure that that’s even the issue. I really think that all the positive press Carrie Prejean has gotten from evangelical Christians has more to do with the media backlash that she has received then it does the actual merits of her answer.

    • Byron on May 4, 2009 at 10:37 pm

      That’s an interesting perspective, and maybe you’re onto something with it. If you’re right, then the thing that I’d say is, to use a phrase you laughed at when I spoke it to you on the phone recently (I use it all the time; feel free to borrow it): we need to measure twice and cut once when it comes to making a hero out of folks. We need to think through things more deeply, consider the whole picture, and not so blindly promote a person as a hero when there are such concerns (well, probably not get into the business of making heroes out of people to begin with, Aaaaa-MEN?).

      And for what it’s worth, as you’d expect, I’m right in line with the criticism of the double standard of the cultural elite! I just don’t want to be guilty of one ourselves, which seems to be at work here…

  3. Pat on May 4, 2009 at 10:46 pm

    I wonder if the acclaim that this young lady receives is coming from American Christianity’s love with the culture wars, and with celebrities who fight the wars the way we wish – aggressively, black and white, full steam ahead and damn the torpedoes. This scenario reminds me greatly of the Palin v Obama election, wherein Christian conservatives were extremely happy with the attack dog speeches on Obama’s community organizing experience.

    I wonder if the culture wars are really just about entertainment for us, and about a hope that Christians can return to power? And if that’s the case, is that the way of the Christ of the Sermon on the Mount?

  4. Warren Throckmorton on May 6, 2009 at 12:08 am

    Byron asked:

    “Have we lost our minds, or sold our souls?”

    Well, keep my mind and soul out of it but the answer is yes.

  5. Jack Brooks on May 6, 2009 at 9:40 am

    We’re so shocked that someone as unlikely as her would have given even the fairly lukewarm answer she gave, on national TV, and we’re so starved for somebody, anybody, who will speak something that accords with God’s truth, and we’re so disgusted with two-faced perverts like Perez Hilton, that there’s been an explosion of support.

    • Byron on May 6, 2009 at 10:37 am

      Yeah, that’s about right, it seems to me.

  6. Don on May 6, 2009 at 4:42 pm

    …and she’s easy on the eyes.

  7. Laurie on May 8, 2009 at 7:53 pm

    While I think her answer wasn’t very well thought out, maybe she doesn’t think well on her feet, and if caught off guard, which she probably was, out came something pretty wishy-washy. Some people, Christians included, just don’t spend alot of time defending what they believe so when asked questions they immediately develop deer-in-the-headlights syndrome.

    That being said, I hope what she really believes is alot more solid than what she actually stated.

    This is what can happen when you get involved with things that involve Hollywood or the media or anyone that is advancing the gay agenda – if they know you’re a Christian they’re going to put you on the spot so they can make us look like a bunch of intolerant jerks. I’m constantly amazed that people will get on some of these so-called “reality” shows and reveal that they are Christians – most times I’m embarrased for them and not happy that they’re making the rest of us look bad! It’s hard enough apologizing for my own mistakes, I surely don’t want to have to explain someone else’s bad behavior!

  8. Warren Throckmorton on May 8, 2009 at 7:57 pm

    Here is an update on the matter:

    http://wthrockmorton.com/2009/05/08/carrie-prejean-has-second-thoughts-about-recent-blisss-magazine-pic/

    And Focus on the Family will have her on the show Monday and Tuesday – http://www.focusonthefamily.com/carrie_prejean_interview.aspx

    Good idea? Or no?

    • Byron on May 9, 2009 at 11:54 am

      Awful idea. And I told FotF so…in fact, here’s my verbatim email to Jim Daly at Focus, after I’d called them directly:

      Jim,

      I just spoke with a wonderful lady named Martha who wrote down and promised to forward to you my words (and I believe her!). Jim, I want to register the strongest possible objection to FotF’s airing of an interview with Carrie Prejean this coming week. I’m sure Martha will pass along my reasoning in greater detail, but the massive inconsistencies in this whole saga are troubling, to say the least. Dr. Dobson has long taken a stance against pornography, in significant part because of its effects on women, and yet Miss Prejean’s past AND CURRENT stance regarding the apparel she wears and allows herself to be photographed in render her unfit AT THE CURRENT TIME to be a spokesperson for our movement. We rightly agree that the sexualizing of our culture, the commodification of our young women as objects of sexual gratification, is a hideous evil–how does this square with the promotion of a young lady who, apparently unashamedly, engages in the very behavior that we rightly condemn? And what do I tell my own 14-year-old daughter, were she to hear Miss Prejean lifted up as she has been, and then find out about the shocking apparel that Miss Prejean justifies? What would Dr. Dobson say to my daughter, Jim? What would you say? I have no answer, myself, because I see this as a glaring inconsistency on the part of FotF, should you continue with plans to air this interview.

      Further, I believe this casts the cause of Christ in a very poor light in the eyes of the world. We need to strive to be above reproach. The world can very easily take this as another example of Christians wanting to have it both ways, of speaking out of both sides of our mouths–and you can bet it will, because it’s already happening.

      I’m sure Miss Prejean is a fine person with many fine qualities, and this is not meant in any way to excoriate her. Frankly though, when parsed, the very statement for which she is being lauded is singularly unimpressive, for it suggests that she’s glad Americans have a choice, but her choice is one-man/one-woman. I’m happy that’s her choice, of course, but I’m not glad that Americans can choose–are you? Is FotF? Is Dr. Dobson? Why the rush to make her a hero/spokesperson?

      I urge you in the strongest possible terms: please reconsider this decision.

      Sincerely,

      Rev. Byron D. Harvey, Pastor
      Red Oak, an Evangelical Free Church
      Marietta, GA

  9. Graham on May 9, 2009 at 3:08 pm

    There is always the balance when forming working partnerships that we are not going to see eye-to-eye on them with everything, even when working towards a common goal.

    You might have a campaign against top-shelf magazines which means working with a politician who emphasises she supports every woman’s “right to choose” and you can also be campaigning for restrictions on abortions with a politician who is delighted that two men can enter a legal civil partnership.

    At what point do you draw that line? Should Dr Dobson say on TV, moments before interviewing Ms Prejean something like “Please note that here at Focus on the Family we strongly disapprove of the competitions she appears in”?

  10. Byron on May 9, 2009 at 10:03 pm

    Good questions, G. My opinion is that we ought, in general, to be a lot slower to jump on the celebrity bandwagon than most of us evangelicals are. Further, this is not a case of a person who is simply a politician who might agree with us on a point; it is a case of a professing Christian young lady being held up in a way likely to engender “role model status”.

    And I think if Dr. Dobson were to do that, he’d not have her on to begin with. I think that his having her on, if he goes through with it, will render him speechless (as far as credibility is concerned) with regard to issues like pornography. And that’d be a shame.

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